The present invention relates to an apparatus for charging a battery by an alternator driven by an engine.
Often recreational vehicles, boats, and the like have a great number of electrical and electronic equipment. For example, in the case of recreational vehicles, the equipment includes lighting, refrigerators, water pumps, leveling jacks, microwave ovens, radios, television with VCR's, transceivers, air conditioners, and inverters. In the case of recreational boats, the equipment includes the above list and also navigational equipment, radar, depth sounders, fish finders, automatic pilots, water makers, 12 volt electric trolling motors, etc. These loads place a large demand on the generally 6-cell, 12 volt storage batteries which are used to power them. Further, the trend is to add more electrical equipment that will place an ever increasing demand on the storage batteries.
Also, farmers, construction contractors, fleet maintenance groups, and auto repair shops have an occasional need for a quick charge and/or jump start. Thus, there is a need for a compact, hand-portable, engine-driven battery charging apparatus with controlled, safe and quick charge capability to meet these demands.
In addition, these loads when suddenly connected to the battery can cause the engine to stall causing possible damage and inconvenience.
Furthermore, the battery has a phenomenon that the amount of gases may sharply increase at the end of charging.
This phenomenon is called gassing. Thus, it is an object of this invention to meet these needs and to avoid gassing which causes the battery electrolyte to decrease rapidly, thereby shortening the battery life and also can result in the possibility of fire by the gases.